When my son leased a new car, I was able to assist him in the matter of choosing the car and where to lease it. It was fun to work with him in the matter. Just before helping him I assisted my son-in-law by test driving a car for him and negotiating the purchase price on his behalf.

It was fascinating to see how similar the two young men were as they acquired a complex piece of machinery that had numerous electronic devices with controls that needed to be understood in order to gain maximum benefit from the vehicle.

All three of us were able to take the keys from the salesman, unlock and enter the vehicles, start them, and drive away without any trouble. However, in order to gain maximum benefit from the vehicles it was essential to take the user’s guide out of the glove compartment and spend an evening reading it. Only by doing that would we gain a full operating knowledge of all the car’s features and how to use all of the systems properly.

It seems so obvious that a person needs to read the instructions that the manufacturer of the car has provided if we wish to benefit from the vehicle’s design and to insure that the optimum operating conditions were met to guarantee a long and satisfying relationship with the car. Only the creator of the car knows best how to get maximum pleasure and long life from the car they have designed.

The same principle applies to running our lives in this world. Only the Creator can help us maximize the benefits and show us how to cope with the difficulties of life. The Bible is the User’s Guide to Life. In the pages of Scripture we have the explanation of how our world came into being, why God made it, what has gone wrong, and the Creator’s remedy for the pain, suffering and death we encounter daily in this life.

I trust you are wise enough to recognize that although you can accomplish numerous things in life without reference to the Bible, just as you can get into a car and drive it without reference to the user’s guide, that you need wisdom from the Lord in order to cope the best possible way with all that comes your way in life.

Scripture is able to provide the needed information and instruction so that you deal effectively with life’s alternatives. May you seek the Lord daily in His User’s Guide To Life, the Bible, and find Him speaking effectively to you.